Auto turn-signalling system with timed cancellation



Feb. 1, 1966 A. BORDEN 3,233,218

AUTO TURN-SIGNALLING SYSTEM WITH TIMED CANCELLATION Filed Nov. 30, 1962 30 5/){ Fl i m I /40 2 I HI I F 20 I| V I /a I! 406 9 3Z| L z/ T PIC-9'.

ZATChV/VG IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3 233 218 AUTO TURN-SIGblALiING SYSTEM WITH TIMED CANCELLATION Leland A. Borden, 540 E. Merrill Ave., Rialto, Calif. Filed Nov. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 241,280 3 Claims. (Cl. 340-81) The present invention relates to means and techniques for automatically disabling a signalling circuit after a predetermined time of operation of the same and is particularly useful in connection with turn-indicating systems on automobiles.

Many States of the United States now require automobiles to be equipped with a turn-indicating system wherein a flashing light is used to indicate the direction in which an operator intends to turn his auto. Such systems, as provided, are usually self-cancelling in that the circuit to the flashing light is automatically interrupted upon completion of a turn, i.e. the flashing signal is automatically self-cancelled.

There are situations, however, where the system may fail to perform its self-cancelling function or the turn made by the operator is of insufiicient extent to accomplish self-cancellation or through inadvertence the operator may initiate operation of the system without intending to make a turn. These situations not only are misleading and an annoyance to drivers of other automobiles but can also give rise to dangerous conditions and accidents.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, there are provided means and techniques whereby the circuit to the flashing light is automatically interrupted after a predetermined time regardless of and independently of whether a turn is made by the auto.

In one form of the invention the means provided for these purposes maybe in the form of a plug-in unit hav ing a male connector and a female connector, the male connector being insertable in a conventional socket which normally receives the flasher unit on existing automobiles and the flasher unit then being plugged into the female socket of the unit. This arrangement thus allows use of the present invention without circuit modification in existing automobiles.

In another form of the invention, particularly useful in the production of new automobiles, not only is the circuit to the flashing light interrupted after a predetermined time but also the manually operable turn-indicator lever is automatically restored to its normalrneutral position.

t It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide means and techniques for accomplishing the above-indicated features.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide means and techniques for disabling a signalling circuit after a predetemined period of time.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide'means and techniques whereby turn-indicating signalling systems on existing automobiles may be modified to derive the above-indicated advantages without any change in existingcircuitry other than the interpositioning of a unit, such interpositioning being accomplished by a plug-in unit in those cases where the existing flasher unit is a plug-in unit and in those instances where the flasher unit is not a plug-in unit, only uncomplicated resoldering of leads is required.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide a system of this character wherein the circuit to the flashing signal is not only interrupted but also the turn-indicator lever is restored to a neutral position.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the ap- 3,233,218 Patented Feb. 1, 1966 pended claims. This invention iself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates schematically a first form of the present invention particularly useful in existing automobiles.

FIGURE 2 illustrates another system embodying features of the present invention.

Referring to the system shown in FIGURE 1, the battery of the automobile is indicated by the voltage source 10 which conventionally has one of its terminals grounded and the other one of its terminals connected to a socket 11 which normally receives a prong 12 of a flasher unit 13, the other prong 14 of the flasher unit being normally connected to socket 15. The socket 15 is connected to the movable arm 16 of a single-pole double-throw switch 17, with the arm 16 having a neutral position wherein it engages neither one of the two switch stationary contacts 18 and 19. These contacts 18 and 19 are connected respectively to one terminal of turn-indicating lamps 20 and 21, the other terminals of such lamps being grounded. While the sockets 11 and 15 and prongs 12, 14 are, for purposes of illustration, described as being separate, they conventionally are mounted on a common base member for ease of insertion and removal for replacement purposes. Thus, considering the conventional circuitry described above under the condition wherein prong 12 is within socket 111 and prong 14 is within socket 1 5, it will be seen that upon engagement of the manu ally operable switch arm 16 into engagement with' either contact 18 or 19, accomplished by the conventional turn-indicator lever, a current flows from one terminal of source 10 through the connection 11, 12 and through the heater 25, bimetallic strip 26 and normally closed switch 27 and connection 14, 15 and light bulb 20 or 21, as the case may be, to the other terminal of source 10, thereby producing illumination of the selected light bulb 20 or 21, i.e., either the right-turn or left turn in dicating light. This initial current flow produces heating in the heater 25 and such heat is conveyed to the bimetallic strip 26 which, under the influence of such heat, bows to open the switch 27 and thereby discontinue the heating in resistor 25 and, of course, extinguishment of the selected light. After the bimetal 26 is cooled, the switch 27 is closed, again initiating a heating cycle and illumination of the selected l-ight'bulb. This operation then' proceeds cyclically as long as the switch arm 16 is in its operating position, thereby producing a flashing turn-indicating signal. Should for any reason the switch arm 16 remain in its operated position, flashing will continue indefinitely. By adding the unit 30, discontinuance of the flashing signal is assured after a predetermined time and this is so regardless of the condition of switch 17. To effect this conversion, the prongs 3 1 and 32 of unit 30 are pluged into sockets 11 and 15 respectively, and the prongs 12 and 14 of the flasher unit 13 are plugged into the sockets 34 and 35 of unit 30.

The unit 3i) contains a relay 40 having a coil 40A for actuating the single-pole double-throw relay switch 49B,

such switch having a movable arm 40C and two staand also to one terminal of coil 40A and heater 42A, the other terminal of coil A being connected to th stationary contacts 40B and 42C, and the other terminal of heater 42A being connected to the stationary terminal 40B and also to the socket 35. Prong 32 is connected both to the movable arm 40C and one end of the bimetal strip 42B. f

The operation of the system shown in FIGURE 1 is the same when the switch arm 16, actuated by the conventional turn-indicator lever on the automobile, is moved into engagement with either stationary contact 18 or 19, the only difference being that in one case the right turn lamp 20 is initially energized and in the other case the left-turn indicator lamp is initially energized. Assuming for the present description that the movable arm 16 is moved into engagement with the contact 18, there is an initial current flow in the following path, namely: from the ungrounded terminal of battery It} through the connection 11, 3 1, connection 34, 12, the heater and bimetal strip 26 of flasher unit 13, through connection 14, 35, through the normally closed switch C, 40E, through connection 15, 32, and light bulb 20 to the grounded terminal of battery 10. The flasher unit 13 then operates as described above, with the switch 26, 27 being intermittently opened and closed to thereby produce a flashing light at lamp bulb 21 During this time in which the flashing signal is being produced, the heater 42A is energrind and thereby producing heat for heating the bimetal strip 428, the current for heater 12A flowing in the following path, namely: from the ungrounded terminal of battery 10 and through the connection 11, 31, heater 42A, normally closed switch 40C, 40E, connection 15, 32, and switch 16, 18 and light bulb 21) to the grounded terminal of battery 10.

The thermal relay 42 is in the nature of a time delay relay, requiring an appreciable time, for example, thirty seconds for the switch 42B, 42C to close after energization of the heater 42A. When this switch 42B, 42C is closed, the relay winding 40A is energized through a closed circuit which extends from connection 31, through coil 40A, through switch 42C, 423, and terminal 32, in which case the relay 4-1 is energized and the movable arm 49C then engages the stationary contact 401) to proyide a holding circuit for coil 40A; When the relay 40 i 4 is thus energized, the switch 40C, 40E is, of course, open to interrupt the previously described circuit for both the flasher unit 13 and the heater 42A, and flashing of lamp bulb 20 is thereby discontinued. In order to allow subsequent operation of the turn-indicating system, this holding circuit provided by the switch 40C, 40D must be broken and this is accomplished simply by the operator moving the turn-indicator lever to its neutral position wherein the switch 16, 18 is now open. When switch 16, 18 is thus opened, the winding 411A is de-energized and the flasher unit 13 and heater 42A may again be energized in the manner and for the purposes described above.

'It is noted that the heater 42A is connected in parallel with the flasher unit 13 and for that reason it is desirable that the resistance of the heater 42A be larger than the combined resistances of heater 25 and bimetal strip 26 in flasher unit 13. i

In the system shown in FIGURE 2, for purposes of comparison, the following elements have the same reference numerals as in FIGURE 1, namely: battery 10, indicating lamps 20 and 21, switch arm 16 and stationary contacts 1 8 and 19, the switch arm 16 being illustrated as attached to the turn-indicator lever 189 through an insulating member 10 1. The lever 100 has mounted thereon a permanent magnet 104 which is polarized with a north and south pole as indicated. This turn-indicator lever 1% has associated therewith conventional latching and restoring means 106 which normally retains the turn-indicator lever 100 in a neutral position wherein the arm 16 engages neither one of the stationary contacts 18 and 19. Such means 106 as conventional in present-day automobiles also functions to releasably latch the turn-indicator lever in either one of its two actuated positions wherein either arm 16 engages contact 13 or wherein arm 16 engages contact 19. Also, such conventional means 106 is responsive to turning of the auto for returning the lever 100 to a neutral position automatically after completion of a turn of the auto. Since such means 106 is conventional and found in a variety of forms on different autos, it is believed unnecessary to burden this disclosure with a specific showing of specific apparatus that comprises the means 106 for accomplishing the functions and purposes described here'-- in. It may be added that such conventional means 106 is such as to allow an operator to manually restore the lever 11111 to its neutral position even though no turn is made by the auto, i.e. manual operation of lever can override contemplated functions of the means 106 Mounted adjacent the previously mentioned permanent magnet 10 4 are, on opposite sides thereof, two magnetizable core members 110 and 111which are magnetized respectively by coils 112 and 113 to magnetically polarize the core members with north and south poles as indicated in FIGURE 2. Thus, when coil 112 is energized, a south pole is developed on that end of core member 110 which is adjacent the south pole of the permanent magnet 104; and likewise, when the coil 113 is energized, the core member 111 develops a north pole on that end therof which is adjacent to the north pole of the permanent magnet 104, all for purposes as described in more detail later, for repelling the permanent magnet 1'04 and restoring the turn-indicator lever 10.0 to its neutral position.

It will be seen that the flasher unit 13 in FIGURE 2 is connected in a series circuit with respect to the battery 14 switch arm 16 and either lamp 20 or 21 in the same manner as in FIGURE 1 either, with or without the unit 30 being interconnected therein; and, as in FIGURE 1,

V the heater 142A (corresponding to heater 42A in FIG- URE l) of thermal time delay relay 142 is connected in parallel with the flasher unit 13. In this case, however, the bimetal strip 141213, heated by the heater 142A and serving as a switch element, has one of its ends connected to the ungrounded terminal of battery 10 with the associated stationary contact 142C being connected to one terminal of each of coils 112 and 113, the other terminal of each coil 112, 113 being connected to the grounded terminal of battery 10.

In the operation of the system shown in FIGURE 2, when the lever is manually moved from its neutral position, the contact arm 16 engages either stationary contact 18 or stationary contact 19 and for the present discussion it will be assumed that the lever 10%] is manually moved to close the switch 16, 13. The lever 100 may then be released and, as is conventional, the releasable latching means 106 maintains the switch 16, 18 closed, subject, however, to be opened either upon completion of a turn involving operation of the conventional restoring means, or .by manual restoration of the lever 101) or, as now described, as a result of energization of the coil 112, such energization occurring a predetermined time interval of, for example, thirty seconds after the switch 16, 18 is initially closed.

. For this latter purpose, it is noted that when the switch 16, 18 is closed, the heater 142A is supplied with heating current which flows in the following path, name ly: from the ungrounded terminal of source 10, through heater 142A, through switch 16, 18, and the lamp bulb 20. After this predetermined time interval, the bimetal strip142 flexes and closes the switch 142B, 142C to thereby complete an energizing circuit for the two parallel connected coils 112 and 1-13 ,to magnetically polarize the core members 110 and 111. Under the initial assumed condition, i.e. with switch '16, 18 closed, the permanent magnet south pole is adjace t this now developed south pole on the core member 110, causing a magnetic repulsion between the stationary core member 110 and the movable magnet 104 of sufiicient strength to overcome the releasable latching means 106- and restore the lever 100 to its neutral position. In other words, this developed magnetic repulsion produces the same overriding effect which could be accomplished by manual restoration of lever 100 to its neutral position.

Comparing FIGURES 1 and 2, it is noted that the time delay relays 42 and 142 each have their corresponding heaters 42A and 142A connected in parallel with the elements 25 and 26 of flasher 13. The purpose of such flasher 13, is, of course, to produce a flashing light at either lamp 20 or 21 as the case may be, and this intended function of the flasher 13 should not be impaired by the heaters 42A and 142A connected in parallel thereto. For that reason the resistances of the heaters 42A and 142A are relatively high in value such that when the flasher switch 26, 27 is open, only a small current flows through the particular energized light 20 or 21, such current being sufliciently small such that no visible light is produced by the lamp bulb during this particular time, i.e. during the time when switch 26, 27 is open.

It will be understood also that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the construction of any particular flasher unit and the particular flasher unit disclosed is typical of others which may be used in the systems disclosed.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. For use in an auto tum-indicating system, a unit having a pair of male contacts and a pair of female contacts, a relay having a coil and a single-pole doublethrow switch, said switch having a movable contact and a pair of stationary contacts with said movable contact engaging one of said stationary contacts in the de-energized condition of said coil, a thermal timing relay having an electrical heater and a control switch operated by said heater, one of said male contacts being connected to one of said female contacts and also to one terminal of said coil and one terminal of said heater, the other of said male contacts being connected to said movable contact and also to one terminal of said control switch, the other terminal of said control switch being connected to the other terminal of said coil and also to the other stationary contact of said single-pole double-throw switch, the other of said female contacts being connected to the other terminal of said heater and also to said one stationary contact of said single-pole double-throw switch.

2. In an automobile turn-indicating system, the combination comprising: a manually operable turn-indicator lever manually movable from a neutral position to a turnindicating position; first switching means operated by said lever; an indicating lamp; a battery; a flasher unit having operating means and second switching means for periodic operation by said operating means; said battery, lamp, first switching means, and said second switching means being connected in a series circuit to produce current flow through said lamp with said operating means being connected to said circuit to periodically operate said second switching means and thereby produce a flashing light by said lamp; timing means; said timing means being connected with said battery through said first switching means; and means controlled by said timing means for interrupting said series circuit; said timing means comprising a thermal relay having a heater operating a control switch; a relay having a coil and a singlewpole doublethrow switch; the last-mentioned switch having a movable contact and two stationary contacts with said movable contact engaging one of said stationary contacts in the deenergized condition of said coil; said heater being connectable with terminals of said battery through said first switching means and said movable contact and said one stationary contact; said coil being connectable with terminals of said battery through said first switching means and said control switch; said coil being also connectable with terminals of said battery through said first switching means and said movable contact and the other stationary contact of said single-pole double-throw switch; said movable contact and said one stationary contact being in said series circuit and providing the means for interrupting said series circuit.

3. In an automobile turn-indicating system, the combination comprising: a manually operable turn-indicator lever manually movable from a neutral position to a turn-indicating position; first switching means operated by said lever; an indicating lamp; a battery; a flasher unit having operating means and second switching means for periodic operation by said operating means; said battery, lamp, first switching means, and said second switching means being connected in a series circuit to produce current flow through said lamp with said operating means being connected to said circuit to periodically operate said second switching means and thereby .produce a flashing light by said lamp; timing means; said timing means being connected with said battery through said first switching means; and means controlled by said timing means for interrupting said series circuit; polarized magnet means on said lever, coil means having a magnetic core producing magnetic poles for magnetic repulsion of like poles on said magnet means, said timing means having a switch thereby for connecting said coil means to terminals of said battery to thereby produce said magnetic poles and cause said lever to be restored to its neutral position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,3 08,097 1/ 1943 Murray 315-81 2,717,331 9/ 1955 Hollins 340 8l 2,757,315 7/ 1956 Hollins 315- 2,835,879 5/1958 DuRocher et al. 340--81 NEILC. READ, Primary Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN AN AUTO TURN-INDICATING SYSTEM, A UNIT HAVING A PAIR OF MALE CONTACTS AND A PAIR OF FEMALE CONTACTS, A RELAY HAVING A COIL AND A SINGLE-POLE DOUBLETHROW SWITCH, SAID SWITCH HAVING A MOVABLE CONTACT AND A PAIR OF STATIONARY CONTACTS WITH SAID MOVABLE CONTACT ENGAGING ONE OF SAID STATIONARY CONTACT IN THE DE-ENERGIZED CONDITION OF SAID COIL, A TERMINAL TIMING RELAY HAVING AN ELECTRICAL HEATER AND A CONTROL SWITCH OPERATED BY SAID HEATER, ONE OF SAID MALE CONTACT BEING CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID FEMALE CONTACTS AND ALSO TO ONE TERMINAL OF SAID COIL AND ONE TERMINAL OF SAID HEATER, THE OTHER OF SAID MALE CONTACTS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE CONTACT AND ALSO TO ONE TERMINAL OF SAID CONTROL SWITCH, THE OTHER TERMINAL OF SAID CONTROL SWITCH BEING CONNECTED TO THE OTHER TERMINAL OF SAID COIL AND ALSO TO THE OTHER STATIONARY CONTACT OF SAID SINGLE-POLE DOUBLE-THROW SWITCH, THE OTHER OF SAID FEMALE CONTACTS BEING CONNECTED TO THE OTHER TERMINAL OF SAID HEATER AND ALSO TO SAID ONE STATIONARY CONTACT OF SAID SINGLE-POLE DOUBLE-THROW SWITCH. 